Hamilton district's schools flunk architect's exam

By Michael Macagnone, Hamiltoninfocus.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 16, 2013

HAMILTON — The grades are in, and for many of Hamilton Township’s school buildings, they aren’t good.

The district’s architectural firm, Fraytak Veisz Hopkins Duthie, PC, compiled a report card that gave each of the 24 schools in the district a letter grade, which it presented to the board this week. The Trentonian obtained a copy through an Open Public Records Act request.

The report card comes as part of the district’s larger review of the structural problems it faces in its 24 schools. A preliminary estimate of the price to fix the district’s schools totaled out at $134 million over the next five years.

The firm will also work on further reports that will include cost estimates for the repairs and renovations it outlines, along with a larger capital project list for the board to review.

Board Vice President Joe Malagrino, the head of the Facilities Committee, said the committee and the district will still need to take more information into account before making decisions about the schools.

“This is still premature, we still have to digest and gather more information and figure out where we are going with this,” he said at Tuesday’s board meeting.

Three schools in the district received “A” ratings, and five received “D” or combined ratings that included a “D.” Even top rated or close to top-rated schools have problems with ventilation, asbestos tiles, mold and security concerns.

An “A” rating means “the building is in good condition, requiring modest upgrades for building code/barrier free compliance. Investment in mechanical/electrical/energy reduction upgrades and/or building expansion is warranted and possible,” according to the report.

Greenwood Elementary School, originally built in 1917, received the worst grade among the 24 schools in the district, with an “F.” The report listed the bowed facade, which the district has already repaired, along with larger problems, such as the cafeteria not having sufficient egress.

The report also listed insufficient space both for instruction and play outdoors at the school. The building had 278 students in 2010, according to the report, but its functional capacity is 216 students. The report’s description of an “F” rating said those schools would be difficult if not impossible to upgrade or renovate to modern building standards.

“Investment in mechanical/electrical/energy reduction upgrades and/or building expansion is not feasible and would offer little to increase the overall value,” the report said of “F” rated schools.

Hamilton High School West received the worst grade of the high schools with a combined “B-D.” One part of the school was shut down earlier this year after testing in the school showed mold, bacteria and lead-based paint in one locker room area affected by sewage backup.

Half of the schools still have asbestos tiles or piping in hallways or classrooms. Many are also over their functional capacity and crammed into insufficient space in classrooms built more than half a century ago, according to the report.

“For other smaller, older, inefficient, poorly organized buildings...investments in capital project improvements may not be cost effective based on the number of students served,” the report said.